Okonkwo, A Tragic Hero
Aristotle once said, “A man doesn't become a hero until he can see the root of his own downfall.” Although there have been many heroes in Africa's history, most are unknown because the West dehumanized these past cultures. Many famous European authors have created tragic heroes - Oedipus, Hamlet, and Romeo, to name a few. In the novel Things Fall Apart however, Chinua Achebe creates an African tragic hero- Okonkwo and is used to resemble the fall of the Ibo culture. A tragic hero is defined as a man of high status with a shameful flaw. Along with forces working against him leading to a dramatic downfall. To appeal to a Western audience, the author uses the tragic hero template to portray the descent
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This fear comes from his father’s laziness and debt. Throughout the novel Okonkwo tries to prove himself as a man of great power. Every tragic hero has a flaw and that is his. Chinua Achebe developed Okonkwo as a rage filled, desperate to please man, creating his own downfall. “Okonkwo ruled his household with a heavy hand. His wives, especially the youngest, lived in perpetual fear of his fiery temper, and so did his little children.” (Page 13). Because of his father's womanly reputation, Okonkwo was proving his manliness by showing an immense amount of anger. In the quote above, Achebe informed the reader of Okonkwo's status in not only society, but in his house as well. Okonkwo wants nothing more but to build up his reputation. When the Oracle wanted his son, Ikemefuna dead, he killed him himself. “Dazed with fear, Okonkwo drew his machete and cut him down.” (Page 61). Achebe included that Okonkwo was scared to kill Ikemefuna to show that although he did not want to do it, he wanted to prove his sense of masculinity. Okonkwo would've rather killed his son, then look weak. This stems from his constant fear of being like his father. Achebe changes how he writes about Okonkwo to follow through with the tragic hero template. In the first few chapters, Okonkwo was praised. Towards the end of part one, Achebe focuses on Okonkwo's flaw to bring about his great